Muslims celebrate Ramadan, battle misperceptions

Moments after sunset, Rubina Khan began serving dates to guests who had gathered in her Natick home to celebrate "iftar," the traditional evening meal for Muslims who have fasted throughout the day during the holy month of Ramadan.

By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff

Posted Aug. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 23, 2010 at 11:03 PM

By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff

Posted Aug. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 23, 2010 at 11:03 PM

NATICK

» Social News

Moments after sunset, Rubina Khan began serving dates to guests who had gathered in her Natick home to celebrate "iftar," the traditional evening meal for Muslims who have fasted throughout the day during the holy month of Ramadan.

She had spent much of Wednesday preparing fruit salad, sandwiches, a biscotti-like sweet and low-fat yogurt made from tamarind and chickpeas. A bottle of Newman's Own orange lemon dressing sat on the kitchen counter.

At 7:50 p.m., her husband, Imran Khan, announced the sun had set and more than a dozen Muslims began a ritual of eating and prayer dating back to the founding of the religion of Islam 15 centuries ago.

After breaking their fasts which began that morning at 5:50 a.m., the Khans led their guests downstairs for "maghrib," or evening prayers before returning to eat a full meal and socialize.

"For Muslims, Ramadan is a month of spiritual cleansing through fasting and prayer," said Rubina Khan, a native of Lahore, Pakistan. "It's a time to reflect on the past year and find ways to be better people in the coming year."

Her husband pointed out that pregnant women, children who haven't reached adolescence, elderly, sick people and travelers are exempted from the obligation to fast.

For Noorul Rahman, Ramadan is a "very centering Pillar of Faith" that teaches her empathy for the needy and reaffirms her commitment to Islam.

Born in Malaysia, she came to the U.S. in 1980 and works as a chemist. The Ashland resident said Ramadan is especially important to Muslims because it commemorates the month when Allah revealed the teachings of the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, to the Prophet Mohammed.

For Rahman, Islam, which means "submission" to the will of God, is a "way of life."

"I was raised to obey the rituals of prayer five times a day, of fasting, of giving to charity," she said. "Not practicing my religion is not an option for me. Islam is tied to my identity. I can't see myself any other way."

But for many Muslims across MetroWest, politics, misunderstanding and chance have cast a shadow over this year's Ramadan, which they generally look forward to as a time for introspection and renewal.

Since Muslims use a lunar calendar, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan, falls this year on or around Sept. 11, the ninth anniversary of attacks by Muslim terrorists that hardened public attitudes toward Islam.

The exact date of Eid al-Fitr hasn't been decided yet since Islamic authorities will base a final decision on sightings of the moon and other astronomical factors. In the U.S., the holiday could fall on Sept. 9, 10 or 11.

At the same time, plans to build a mosque several blocks from Ground Zero in New York city where the Twin Towers were destroyed has prompted a fierce and divisive public debate.

Page 2 of 3 - Rubina Khan complained the "media has taken and hijacked" her religion by equating the 9/11 terrorists and others with the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims who condemn violence and only want, like people of all faiths, to raise their families in peace.

"I don't consider the terrorists 'Muslims.' They deviated from true Islam. It is such a misunderstood religion. Very frankly, I think all religions are the same. They ask you to believe in God and be a good person," she said.

Several guests at the Khans' dinner and others across MetroWest agreed, saying the American public too often doesn't look beyond media and Hollywood stereotypes that defame Islam as a violent religion and distort the motives of Muslims seeking to build the controversial mosque and teaching center in New York.

Relaxing after dinner, Amin Khan, an accountant and Realtor, said "America has the best legal system" and wondered on what grounds people opposed the mosque since it had "gone through a public review process" and received its permits.

Sitting across the living room with his wife, Firas Ahmad observed, "In other countries, Ramadan is more festive. Here, things are a little tighter."

An executive in a renewable energy company, he believes "most people are fair minded" in their dealings with Muslims.

"I don't think people cling to misconceptions. The real problem is the lack of good information for (non-Muslims) to base their opinions on," he said.

He lamented that pundits and public figures have "politicized" the New York mosque controversy and "hypocritical" politicians like Newt Gingrich are stirring up anti-Muslim resentment to further their own careers.

Ahmad said anyone who think Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr around Sept. 11 are disrespecting victims' memories should understand "it's just a coincidence" that a holiday determined by the lunar calendar falls on such a momentous day. "Muslims have celebrated it for hundreds of years. It's no different this year. There's no attempt to disrespect anyone," he said.

The day after the Khans' dinner party, Tariq Malik said public concerns about the coming holiday and plans for the mosque near Ground Zero reflected unfounded fears about American Muslims and Islam.

He stressed the timing for Eid al-Fitr was set in motion centuries ago by the adoption of the lunar calendar and "has nothing to do with the anniversary of Sept. 11."

A developer from Hopkinton, he charged that media figures like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannitty inflamed listeners by distorting the reasons many Muslims want to move ahead with the New York mosque project.

"It's not a nightclub. For Muslims, a mosque is the most sacred place," said Malik. "From a Muslim perspective, building a mosque there shows solidarity with the country and people who lost loved ones."

Page 3 of 3 - A native of Pakistan who has fasted during Ramadan since he was 13, Malik urged Americans to realize only a tiny fraction of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims support or are sympathetic to terrorists.

"Let's say, hypothetically, 2 percent of all Muslims support terrorism. That means 98 percent of all Muslims are in line with the values of this country," said Malik. "They don't want a few bad Muslims to hijack their religion."

A convert to Islam, Ben Herzig compared Ramadan to "detox for the soul" that helps him get back to his faith's "core tenets of discipline, empathy and charity."

The 29-year-old Framingham resident starts his days with a simple bowl of granola and fruit before morning prayers. "It's not like a party at IHOP," he joked.

The father of a new child, Herzig said getting enough sleep is tough and he often feels hungry throughout Ramadan. But he's convinced "God doesn't put more hardship on people than they can bear."

He said it would be "an unfortunate coincidence" if Eid al-Fitr occurred on Sept. 11 and emphasized, "It's incumbent for us to ensure that people don't get the wrong idea."

"When it's not Ramadan, we should be educating people about Islam. It's important to clarify our view that terrorism is against Islam with no 'ifs, ands or buts'," Herzig said. "And, if anybody in our faith gets that idea, we need to set them straight as well."